T1016 How to write a successful CV

Sample Pages
CONTENTS

ABOUT THE BOOK 3

1: INTRODUCTION 4
The top ten errors - the top ten questions answered -
selling yourself - understanding what happens to your
CV after you have posted it - winners and losers -
what makes a winner - two sample CVs - your first
attempt.

2: YOU NEED MORE THAN ONE CV 15

Each job has different requirements - targeting your
CV - matching your qualities to the job specifications
- a key skill.

3: THE FIRST PARAGRAPH 18

Importance of the Personal Profile Paragraph (PPP)
- sample job advertisement and CV - some practice -
skills inventory - writing your own PPP.

4: WHAT TO PUT INTO YOUR CV 24

(and equally importantly, what to leave out)
A bad CV and a good one – an American-style CV -
achievement is all - quantify your success – spare time
interests and hobbies – what can you offer an
employer? – compiling your own list of experiences
and achievements.

5: LAYOUT AND PRESENTATION 32

Things to avoid - things to make sure of - advantages
of word processing - two good CV formats, one
British, one American, which is best for you?

6: SAMPLE CVs 38

7: THE COVERING LETTER 44

The basic rules of letter-writing - positive thinking is
the key – two kinds of covering letter – the main
points again – some practice - ten top tips.

8: APPENDICES 51
 1: INTRODUCTION

The Top Ten Errors

OVER the past few years or so, I have spoken to many employers, careers teachers and
careers guidance counsellors about CVs. They all say that certain common errors occur
time after time in all the many hundreds (even thousands) of CVs they read. Here then is
my list of the ‘top ten’ errors that even experienced people make when compiling their
CVs. They are not given in any particular order.

1. The CV is hand-written or typed very badly on poor quality paper. The result is that
it
presents an unprofessional and sloppy image.

2. The CV is too long. Fashions change, but the acceptable length nowadays, and for
the past few years, has been one page (A4).

3. There are spelling errors or typing mistakes and the grammar is poor.

4. Either there is too little information given, or else -

5. There is too much information given, paragraphs and sentences are too long.

6. The information is not presented in any organised way and the reader has to search
hard to find key information such as dates, job-descriptions, etc.

7. Fancy binders and other gimmicks have been used.

8. The CV has not been targeted to the particular job and company/organisation.

9. The CV does not concentrate on results and achievements and has not been written
in such a way as to make the writer appear at his/her best.

10. The writer has wasted space by putting in things that are not necessary - things like
height, weight, sex and so on.

The aim of this book is to help you avoid these all-too-common errors and make your
CV one that is effective in getting you the interview you want.
SEE IF YOU CAN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING TOP TEN QUESTIONS ABOUT
YOUR CV

Give your answers as fully as you can and write them down. If you are working in school,
you may want to discuss your answers with your group or class. Do not go on to the next
page until you have done this exercise.

1. What do the letters CV stand for?

2. What sort of employer asks you for a CV?

3. What is the purpose of a CV?

4. Who is likely to read your CV?

5. How long should your CV be?

6. How should you present your CV?

7. What does an employer look for in your CV?

8. How many kinds of CV are there?

9. What is the most important part of your CV?

10. What should you send with your CV?

These are the ten most important questions about your CV. We shall be trying to answer
them in the course of this book.
NOW HERE ARE THE ANSWERS TO THE TOP TEN QUESTIONS

1. What do the letters CV stand for? - They are an acronym for a Latin phrase,
‘Curriculum Vitae’, which means ‘the course of your life’. But don't think you have
to write a sort of potted autobiography. Be informative, but be brief.

2. What sort of employer asks you for a CV? - Nowadays, most job advertisements
request a CV. Even where there is also an application form to fill in, there may be a
little note saying something like ‘A CV is always helpful’. In this case, you must
send a CV if you are to be in with a chance.

3. What is the purpose of a CV? - Quite simply the purpose of a CV is to get you an
interview. Not to get you a job, it can't do that. The interview gets you the job, the
CV gets you the interview.

4. Who is likely to read your CV? - It depends on the size of the company or
organisation. In a small company the boss may read it in person. In a medium to
large company or organisation, your CV is likely to be read first of all by a junior
secretary armed with a check-list. If you send your CV to an agency, again a junior
clerical worker will read it and probably enter your details into a computerised
database.

5. How long should your CV be? - No more than one A4 page.

6. How should you present your CV? - Typed or word-processed in a simple, neat
and business-like way on good quality paper. No fancy binders or gimmicks. Don't
fold it. Post it flat in a large envelope that matches your paper.

7. What does an employer look for in your CV? - Something that sells your strong
points and presents your case briefly, without fuss and without endless, dull details.

8. How many kinds of CV are there? - Only two: winners and losers.

9. What is the most important part of your CV? - The first paragraph.

10. What should you send with your CV? - A lively and effective covering letter.
(See the last chapter of this book.)

How many did you get right?

To understand the answers, let’s take a look at what happens to your carefully composed
CV when it finally arrives at its destination.
How important is your CV?

A national daily paper reported that one company advertising a vacancy received over 150
CVs from youngsters applying for the job. Two hundred or more is not uncommon. How
can anyone sort them out? Who has the time to read each one carefully?

What happens is that to start with any CVs which are scruffily presented and hard to follow
are rejected, as are those with spelling and other errors. Believe me, there will be plenty of
these. Today’s job market is highly competitive. To make an impression your CV is going
to have to be well-written and professionally presented. It is going to have to be targeted to
the particular job. It is going to have to sell you and your abilities.

Selling yourself in 20 vital seconds

A good CV is an advertisement. You are the product it is selling. Where there are many
CVs seeking attention, any that are not up to scratch will go straight into the bin. It doesn’t
matter how good you are, or how clever - if your CV doesn’t get read, you won’t get an
interview.

What happens to your CV after you have posted it? If you understand what happens next,
you will understand why it is important for your CV to grab the reader’s attention at once.

Your CV together with its covering letter arrives at its destination, the envelope is opened
and the CV and letter are scanned briefly; and I do mean briefly. Did you know that about
20 seconds’ worth of attention is the very most your CV will get at first sight? So, your CV
has 20 seconds in which to make an impact and create a good impression.

I have spoken to managers and employers, careers counsellors and personnel people and
they all say the same thing. Some put the figures even lower. One former manager who
now runs a job-club reckons a CV receives 15 seconds attention at first sight if there is a
large response to the advertisement. In today’s market, there is usually a very large
response indeed.

It’s obvious, then, that a CV for a school or college leaver should occupy no more than one
side of A4 paper. More than that and it will probably be rejected at once.

All this underlines the fact that your CV must be clear, brief and to the point. It should be
well-spaced and neatly laid out; there must be no ‘waffle’. I must emphasise that this is all
sound advice, based on what actually happens. You cannot afford to waste time or space
with unnecessary details.

Don’t take up masses of space at the beginning of your CV with details like name, address,
date of birth and so on. They are necessary pieces of information, but they must not be
allowed to dominate your CV. Don’t put ‘Curriculum Vitae’ at the top of the first page, it
only wastes space. The person who receives your CV knows very well what it is without
being told in 3-inch high capital letters!

And, by-the-way, don’t put details of references on your CV - the place for those is either
on a separate sheet, or better still, in your covering letter.